


With You in the Present

by L_Leonhardt



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abused Eren Yeager, And that's the only hetero thing about him, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Basically I do what I want, But he's a pining idiot, Deal With It, Detective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eren Yeager Has Heterochromia Iridum, Eren Yeager Has a Nice Ass, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone Wants Eren Yeager's Booty, Florist Eren Yeager, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I also spell Hange as Hanji, I write every character's name with the german spelling, Kidnapping, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin) is In Denial, Levi Wants That Yeager Booty, M/M, Marco Bott is Freckled Jesus, Marco Bott is a Sweetheart, Mikasa Ackerman & Levi Are Related, Minor Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Minor Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Past Jean Kirstein/Eren Yeager, Physical Abuse, Pining, Precious Eren Yeager, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Reincarnation, Sasha Being Sasha, Scientist Hange Zoë, Slow Burn, Stockholm Syndrome, While Eren is a horny brat, but he's not alone, except Connie 'cause that would be Conny, except maybe Connie, he knows he wants it, i guess, i really love marco okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2019-10-03 06:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17278910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_Leonhardt/pseuds/L_Leonhardt
Summary: Year 2850.Levi's always had dreams about his previous life, ever since he can remember.One day, he bumps into a familiar boy with different coloured eyes.Those wild eyes that once shone with pure fire, now beaten into submission.But no matter how different they looked now, he had no doubt they belonged to Eren Jäger.Levi will soon find Eren isn’t as happy in this life as he had hoped he would be, so he vows to himself to do everything in his power to give him the peaceful, happy life he deserves.Along this journey, he will find more people with memories of their past lives.However, not all of them are friends.





	1. Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there, reader. Thanks for clicking on this fic!  
> This is a story I've been working on for months, and that is very close to my heart. I don't know how regular I will be on my updates, since my main focus right now is my other Ereri fic, "The Song he Sang at Dawn", put I felt like putting at least the first chapter out there. I really hope you'll enjoy :)

 

Trost was said to be the town of fairytales. After being reconstructed two thousand years ago, following a heated battle against the titans, the town never changed. Even when all the cities within - and outside - the walls opted for more modern structures over the centuries, Trost never did. It was like frozen in time.

For the romantics, it was the most coveted tourist destination yet to date. People came from all over Paradis and Marley to visit it.

Levi Ackerman, on the other hand, didn’t understand all the fussing over it. ‘ _It’s just a big ass city with some old ass buildings’_ was his usual response to people who told him:

‘ _you live in Trost? Wow, Trost is so beautiful, you realize how lucky you are?! I wish I lived in Trost!’_

It was undeniable that Trost was a city full of beauties, but after living in the town for over three years, the raven haired man stopped noticing them long ago. Not that he cared much to begin with.

He was now going over some document, containing all the information he had gathered about his next victim.

Surely when he started, he couldn’t have imagined his private detective work was going to consist in stalking unfaithful spouses sixty percent of the time. He sure hoped Farlan and Isabel had something more exciting in their hands to work on these days.

Without paying attention to the road ahead of himself, he inevitably bumped into someone. Papers and textbooks scattered on the ground, as well as the person in front of him. Levi however, remained with his feet well seated in the ground. He might have been shorter, but he was better built and definitely stronger than an average high school student.

“Damn, my paperwork!”

“I-I’m so sorry sir!” The boy stammered and started collecting Levi’s documents hurriedly, while keeping his look down. Levi just stared at him for a brief moment, something in that messy brown hair felt familiar. Then he kneeled and started collecting the high schooler’s textbook.

“Ah, my fault kid, I wasn’t looking where I was goi…” Levi remained speechless as their eyes met. He knew those eyes. They were different now; the left one was green and the right one amber, but he knew those eyes. Even if they looked docile and ashamed right now, he had no doubt they belonged to Eren Jäger.

“I’m sorry sir, do my eyes creep you out?” the boy said, while lowering his gaze.

“No, no.” Levi got up, and offered him a hand. The boy took it reluctantly.

“Not at all.” _What creeps me out is the lack of the fire they once had._ Was the sentence he left unspoken.

“I think these belongs to you, sir.” He handed him the papers, still looking down.

“And I believe these are yours.” Levi handed him the textbooks, Eren took them hastily, and with a _Thank you, sir_ he was gone.

_Was that really you, Eren?_ Levi was left wondering as he stared at the boy’s slightly hunched back, running away like a scared puppy.

 

***

 

“You’ve met Eren?! Really? Where? How is he? Does he remember? Is he still the same age? Does he have any birthmarks?” The eccentric chemist’s ability to shoot out questions faster than a machine gun was giving the young detective a headache.

“Easy Hanji, I’ve only seen him for like a minute.” he said, then sipped on his black tea. With his friends working elsewhere and his family in another town, these tea dates with Hanji in her office were one of the few likeable social interaction he had these days.

Hanji was the only person he knew from his past life that remembered. She was the only one he could talk to, about things he couldn’t talk to anyone about. He just wished she wasn’t so enthustiastic about it.

“How is it that I lived in this town way longer than you and you still managed to meet him first?”

“The town is big, And for all we know he could’ve moved here just recently. He’s from Shiganshina, remember?”

“Ah, right. I can’t wait to see him again! I hope he remembers too, imagine all the experiments I could do, I mean he was a titan shifter right? It must have affected him in this life too, don’t you think?”

“I hope not.”

“I hope yes! So where does he live?” she asked, glee and expectation in her eyes.

“Why would I know?”

“At least did you find out what school he attends?”

“No.”

Hanji threw her arms in the air, exasperated, “What kind of detective are you?!”

“I’m not stalking the kid, four eyes!”

***

 

It was already past midnight when Levi came back to his apartment. Its roominess came in handy when his family came to visit, or when Isabel and Farlan were in town and decided to stay over. But now that he was on his own, it just felt empty. His solitude felt infinite. And solitude was a thing he despised with all his being.

As soon as he let his weight fall dead on the soft mattress, his cellphone ringed. Reading the name _Farlan_ put a smile on his tired face.

“Hello?”

“Hey Levi, what’s good?”

“I just got home. How ‘bout you?”

“I’m driving to the south of Wall Maria right now.”

There was a brief moment of silence, in which Farlan could feel Levi's death glare reaching to him, even over the phone.

“…I do hope you’re using earbuds right now.” He said, in a stern tone.

“Yeah, yeah, of course I am, dad.” Farlan joked, trying to lighten up the mood, but Levi was not at all pleased.

“I’m not fucking joking, you moron.”

“I know, I swear I put you on the speaker!”

“Then that’s good," Levi said, relieved, "got an interesting case?”

“A cold one… I don’t think I’ll be able to find out too much.”

“Homicide?”

“No, a missing person. Happened more than ten years ago, last seen in a place they call…" Farlan wondered what Levi would have said, had the latter known he had taken his eyes off the road to read the name from his documents, " _T_ _he Valley of the Wolves,_ I think?" 

“Then they became wolf’s shit long ago. You’ll be lucky if you can find their bones by now. Unless it’s just someone who doesn’t want to be found.” Levi suggested.

“Yeah, I doubt that. It was a child.”

“Ouch. Then I hope you do find the bones. At least the family will have something to bury.”

“Hope so too. Well, gotta go now. Bye.”

As soon as Farlan hung up, Levi dialed Isabel’s number. It didn’t take long before she picked up.

“Big bro!” She exclaimed, enthusiastically.

“Hey, Isabel. Did you make it to Orvud safe?”

“No, I died a few times.” Levi laughed softly. He found himself smiling and laughing more often than back in the days, when the titans still roamed on Paradis Island.  But still, that green eyed brat was one of the few people who was able to make him laugh genuienly.

“You brat.” He still used to call her that affectionately, but Isabel was so not a brat anymore. Being able to see her grown into a smart, beautiful young woman was a blessing Levi could never stop being grateful for.

“How ‘bout you, big bro? Got anything interesting on your hands?”

“No, same old boring shit.”

“Ah, sorry about that. Well, I gotta go now. I’ll call you tomorrow, sleep well!”

“You too. Bye.”

Sleep. It was a word that rolled so smoothly on one’s tongue. But to Levi, it felt as sharp as knives. He eyed the sleeping pills resting on his bedside table. The farmacist said not to take them everyday, _j_ _ust when you need it,_ he said. Too bad Levi needed it everyday. Without those pills enveloping him in darkness, sleep was just a continuation of his day. His dreams never felt like dreams.

Every single night was always the same. He laid his head on  his pillow, closed his eyes, and as soon as morpheus took him, he was there again.

There, on the battlefield. The stench of blood filling his nostrils, chilling screams ringing in his ears. He could feel the ground beneath him shake, or his body flying through the air. He felt Eren’s sticky body in his arms, after taking him out of the mouth of the female titan. He felt Eren’s hot skin against his own while pulling him out of his own titan. He saw Eren crumbling to the ground, a hand stained with the blood that was gushing from his nose.

 

Eren.

 

It wasn’t time for sleep yet. Raising himself to a sitting position, he took his laptop and started doing some not work related researches.


	2. Counterfeit Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand I'm back! Sorry, I had a lot of work lately, but I can now FINALLY go back to work on my Ereri fics!  
> If you like Omegaverse, be sure to check my other fic "The Song he Sang at Dawn" if you haven't already, and if you want, of course :)
> 
> P.S.  
> I've slightly edited the first chapter, no major changes, though. (And also, I've added some tags)

 

 

He told Hanji he wasn’t stalking the kid. He told her so. He wasn’t going to stalk someone he knew. But he may however have made a research to find all the high schools in close proximity to the place they met the other day. And, as he had expected, he found only one:

Liberty High.

He may also be parked near the entrance of Liberty High right now. Close enough to see who got in or out, but far enough to go unnoticed.

He wasn’t stalking anyone. He just wanted to check on Eren.

For what, he did not know. Maybe to make sure he was indeed the same Eren he knew literally a lifetime ago. Maybe to see with his own eyes if life had been generous enough to give him the happy, peaceful life he deserves, like it had done with Levi himself.

He had always been a man of action, and this time too he had let his insticts lead his actions. Levi didn’t really give it much thought, as to why he was doing what he was doing.

But if there was something he couldn’t stop thinking about, was the look in Eren’s eyes. So docile. So meek. Even innocent, he’d dare say.

Was this the product of a peaceful life? With no titans, nothing to fight for, and most of all with freedom in hands right from the start, did Eren’s fire never have a reason to be born?

And then he saw him, running just like he had the other day.

“Ereeen! You hopeless sleepyhead! We’re gonna be late!” A girl he recognized to be Historia shouted from the school gates, where she and Armin were waiting.

“Sorry guys,” He apologize, not even catching his breath, as soon as he arrived in front of them. “I missed the bus. Again.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me.” Armin teased, though affectionately.

Eren wrapped each of his arms around each of his two best friends, and the trio walked in.

 _So he’s friend with Armin in this life too_. Levi though, feeling relieved for some reason.  _And it looks like Historia took Mikasa’s place? What happened with her?_

He decided he had gathered enough information for one day, and left.

 

***

The three friends were walking along the corridor side by side, talking about idle things. Until the moment Historia's speech stopped, and she gasped slightly while looking at Eren, as if she noticed something she didn't before.

“What?” He asked, seeing the blonde smile with glee in her dilated pupils.

“Eren, your eyes…” she didn’t need to say another word for Eren to understand.

“Oh shit, I forgot my contacts again, didn't I?” The brunet searched frantically in his backpack for the spare pair he always carried around.

“C’mon, you know you don’t need ‘em.” Armin said, but he knew it was useless. Eren had already pulled his spare pair out of his backpack, and was on his way to the bathrooms when he suddenly stopped.

“Shit!” He immediately turned around.

“Eren…?” Historia and Armin both had a puzzled expression.

“I’ll use the bathroom on the second floor.” The brunet’s explanation was not enough for the blonde pair, who took a look in the opposite direction. All their queries dissipated when they saw Jean standing near the bathroom door.

“You can’t avoid him forever, you know…”

“Go to class without me, guys, I’ll join you when I’m done.” He said and took off, completely ignoring Armin’s comment.

Historia sighed, as they watched him walking away with his head down, which caused him to bump into several people.

 

***

Class had started for more than half an hour when Eren finally showed up. The teacher berated him, but took no further action, and Eren could go take his place at the desk between Sasha and Historia. On the way there, he heard a few people whispering about the teacher making favouritism. He couldn’t do anything but sigh. He was used to it after all, considering who is father was. And besides, he couldn’t start a fight right there.

“What took you so long?” Historia asked, as he took his seat.

“One of my contacts fell off and I couldn’t find it.”

Meanwhile, Sasha was busy arranging her pencil case and her book on her desk, in a way that would make the book stand up by itself. Her tongue was sticking out, her forehead wrinkling in concentration. Once she managed to find a balance, and her ‘fort’ looked stable enough, she took out all of her snacks from her bag and poured them on her desk. From the seat in front of Eren, Armin looked at her with apprehension.

“Sasha, you’re gonna get in trouble again…” Armin whispered to her, but the girl waved her hand dismissively.

“There’s no way the teacher can catch me this time.” She whispered back, overconfident.

But their old literature teacher was far way too used to her antics, and noticed something was off right away.

“Hiding something behind there, miss Braus?” She asked, while walking toward her desk.

“N-Nothing!”

“Really? Then I guess you’ll have no problem putting your book down, will you?”

“I won’t,” Sasha bluffled, “but why should I? It looks fine where it is, and plus I like reading like this.”

“Braus. Take that book down, right now.” The teacher ordered, and the teen had no other choice but to put the book away, revealing her rich loot that consisted of candies, potato chips and other snacks.

“Mmh, what do we have here? Lots of junk food, how surprising,” She said before picking them up one by one. “These are confiscated. You’ll have them back when it’s time to go home.”

“What!” Sasha voiced her malcontent, but there was nothing she could do, so she slammed her face on her desk, whimpering silently, “But what am I supposed to eat until then?” she whined.

Once the teacher had her back to them, Eren stealthily took a chocolate bar from his backpack and slipped it in Sasha’s bag. When the girl noticed, her face lightened up, honey eyes shining as she blew a couple of kisses in his direction, to which he replied with a small smile.

 *** 

It was time to go home. Eren was walking along the corridor by himself, since Armin was busy with club activities and Historia was on a date with Ymir. He on the other hand, had to get to his workplace.

He had almost done it to the exit when he saw Jean talking to Marco. Lowering his head, he accelerated his pacing as he walked past them, in the hope that Jean would not notice him.

“Hold on a sec. Eren!”  _Dammit_ _!_ Eren thought, hearing the taller boy’s footsteps approacching.

“Eren! Eren, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sorry, I have my shift at the shop, I need to go.” He said, without stopping, and never lifting his gaze from the ground.

“It’ll be just a minute, please.”

“I really can’t.”

“Oh, c’mon! Dina won’t get mad if you get there 5 minutes later.”

Eren just kept walking, and that was the last straw. Jean grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to stop. And even then, the boy refused to look at him in the eyes.

“For fuck’s sake, Eren! Look at me! Talk to me!” He forcefully pulled him closer, the action was so sudden and rapid that it almost made Eren lose his balance.

“I'M SO SICK OF YOU IGNORING ME!” He yelled, and the room fell suddenly quiet. "HOW LONG WILL YOU KEEP DOING THIS TO ME?!” Eren’s head was hanging low, shoulder raised in a vain attempt to protect himself from the yelling. His hand was on Jean’s, trying to free himself from his grasp. Once a single tear rolled down his cheek, Jean’s eyebrows raised in realization. His pupils constricted, mouth left ajar. Blinded by his own rage, the boy hadn’t realized how vehement he had been, and what it meant for Eren. Finally, he loosened his grip on the shorter boy’s arm.

And it was then that the brunet finally looked at him into the eyes. And what Jean saw behind the counterfeit blue of his eyes was confusion, followed by fear, and most of all, betrayal.

“He makes me sick…” Someone among the crowd whispered, and it was only then that he noticed that several eyes were set on them both.

“The fuck are you all looking at, huh?!” Jean burst out, directing his rage at the crowd instead. The brunet didn’t waste this opportunity and fled.

“Eren no, wait!” Before he could go after him, he heard someone clearing his throat behind him.

“Care to explain what’s going on here, Kirschtein?” The boy turned around to see a tall, blonde man with his arms crossed, looking at him with a grim expression.

“P-Principal Smith!” He stammered out.

“Maybe we should talk about it in my office.”

“But I-”

“Now, Kirschtein.”

He reluctantly followed the headmaster into his office. He could feel the people in the corridor still staring at him. And having their judging eyes on him felt like a thousand needles piercing his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, comments and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated, so don't be shy and leave a comment <3
> 
> Check out my tumblr if you want, but beware, it is not spoiler free!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/l-leonhardt


	3. Rumours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I am so sorry it took me so long to update. I promise I haven't forgotten about this fic! Actually, it's in my thoughts constantly.  
> I hope you haven't lost interest in this fic in the meantime. If you're still with me, it would mean the world to me if you left a comment telling me you're still reading, It doesn't have to be long.
> 
> So, I hope you'll enjoy chapter 3, you'll definitely won't have to wait as long for chapter 4!

 

“Have a seat, Kirschtein.” The Principal said and Jean took his seat, as casually as it had been the sofa of his own home.

Jean wasn’t a stranger to Erwin Smith’s office. The laquered furniture and the black and white decor felt familiar to him. What felt unfamiliar, was the emptiness in the chair next to his. He always used to get in trouble _with_ Eren, not _because_ of Eren. Well, Jean did use to put the blame on him every single time, but they both knew they were in it together.

Erwin pondered on the words to use for a second, while taking his seat on his black leather chair, “So, I guess you’re aware of the, er… rumours, going around.”

Jean clenched his jaw, then he said through gritted teeths, “Rumours that are baseless and ridiculous.”

“Are they? Because from what I’ve witnessed today, they looked anything but baseless.”

“You caught us at a bad time, I swear it wasn’t what it looked like!” Jean was going to add _you can ask Eren_ , but the Principal didn’t gave him the time to continue.

“So you mean to tell me you weren’t yelling at him and yanking him around.” The Principal spoke like he had already decided the boy was guilty.

Jean cursed himself in his head. Of course the old man was going to think that, after that clichè answer of his. _It wasn’t what it looked like. Damn, what was I thinking?!_

Looking in the Principal’s judgemental eyes, Jean wondered; did he ever had a real chance to explain himself to begin with? Maybe, admitting his own mistakes and apologizing could be a first step in making the Principal change his mind. The boy figured it was worth it to give it a try.

“I admit that I was mad and I went a little overboard, but I didn’t want to hurt Eren.”

Erwin pinched the bridge of his nose, “I want to believe you, Kirschtein, I really want to.”

 _Like hell you do, you old bastard._ Jean mentally cursed him.

“But for now, I have no other choice than to prohibit you from coming near your classmate while on school’s ground.”

“But we’re in the same club!” Jean protested. Staying away from Eren wasn’t going to be such a hard task, the latter did everything he could to avoid him anyway. However, there were certain times when not even Eren himself could avoid their proximity to each others.

“You will be seated at least 4 seats away from him and you will not engage in any conversation with him. Art club’s activities only take place twice a week, so I’m positive you won’t have any trouble complying to my request.”

Four seats away. Eren had already complied to that a month ago. He once seated right next to him, but then, he asked to be moved to the desk in the back row, as far away from him as possible. Five weeks that Eren started avoiding him. Five weeks that everytime their eyes met in the corridor, the brunet turned his eyes away. Five weeks where Jean saw that one weekly hour of club activity as the sole chance to have an interaction, any kind of interaction, with him. However small it could be. But Eren never looked at him. His eyes were always looking down, trying to mask the pain Jean knew he was hiding behind fake blue eyes. Every one of Jean’s gesture Eren ignored, every attempt to make an eye contact that he refused, was a punch in Jean’s stomach. He almost missed those times in middle school, when they used to fight and bicker all the time. He would’ve gladly taken a real punch from Eren over the brunet ignoring him.

The tall boy couldn’t believed that art, which used to be his favorite subject, had turned into that painful nightmare. Next class would’ve been the following day.

That was another opportunity he couldn’t let go to waste.

“And what if I don’t?” Jean said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. He allowed himself to be haughty, feeling like he didn’t have anything to loose.

“In that case, there will be consequences. And don’t even think you can do anything without me knowing. I have eyes everywhere in this school.”

“Great. Can I go now?” He asked, trying to mask his irritation.

“Of course, you’re dismissed,” the Principal said and the boy didn’t esitate one second to hop out of his chair. But before he could make a single step toward the exit, Erwin recalled his attention once again, “But Jean, let me tell you one last thing.”

It took all the boy’s self control to not let out an irritated groan. He didn’t sit back, just stood on his feet with his arms crossed, waiting for whatever else the Principal had to say.

“I know I only have authority on schoolground, so consider this a personal favor. Please, don’t try to approacch him outside of school. Leave that boy alone. He’s having enough problems as it is.”

That was the last straw. The wary looks, the defaming rumours, and now this. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“I am NOT part of Eren’s problems!” He shouted, “I’m the only one in this fucking school who’s tried to help him!”

“I suggest you calm down before I suspend you.”

“I am not gonna calm down! I bet the entire faculty knows about what’s really going on with him! Why won’t you do shit to help him?!”

“Watch your language.” He warned, but Jean continued yelling, not listening to him in his blind rage.

“All because you’re scared of the Distric Attorney!”

“That’s enough, you’re suspended for a week.”

“You can’t handle the truth, can you?” Jean wasn’t yelling anymore, he stated it as a simple fact. But that sentence made a dark shadow befall on the Principal’s eyes.

“Do you want to turn the suspension into an expulsion, Kirschtein?” The Principal said calmly, but those words spoke so softly made Jean’s skin crawl. The man wasn’t really calm, he was just compressing his seething rage.

The boy wanted to keep screaming at him. He wanted to spew all the truth, all that he’s kept bottled up for months. But he couldn’t just ignore the Principal’s threats. He fell silent, clenching his first and lowering his gaze. He had been defeated.

“That’s what I thought. Now get out of my office!”

 

***

 

Once outside, Jean was tempted to slam the office door as hard as he could. He thanked his self control, that restrained him from doing that. In the waiting room just outside the office, all the chairs were empty except one, where a familiar freckled face was sitting, looking concerned.

“… Jean?” He called with apprehension. The light brown birthmark that completely covered the left side of the boy’s face, looked darker than usual.

“Marco? What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you,” He said as he walked up to his friend, “I’d ask how did it go, but I could hear you screaming from here…”

“I got my dumb ass suspended for that.” Jean admitted.

“Gosh, I’m so sorry Jean… What happened? Why did you get so mad at the principal?”

“He told me I need to stay away from Eren. He believes those fucking rumors!”

Marco could do nothing but giving him his warmest hug and his shoulder to lean on.

“I’m just…! I’m so sick of everyone thinking I’m a monster! Nobody believes me!” He said, barely containing his tears, while burying his face deep in Marco’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Jean. I do believe you.” He said, rubbing his back soothingly.

“I know Marco, I know…”

 

Both boys were unaware of the person who was overhearing them from around the corner.

 

***

Levi was busily dusting the surface of the higher shelves in his house. It was in moments like this that he wished he was just a few inches taller. No Eren to help him reach the shelf either, he had to settle for the stool. But the damn thing still didn’t grant him enough height to reach the shelf comfortably.

“Which ones of the brats did you say you were bringing along?” Levi asked his mother, with whom he was talking to on the phone.

“Just Alice and Jonas. Imre also wanted to come, but he’s too busy with school.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe he’s 17 already.”

Imre was the third of his siblings. In this time Kuchel, Levi’s beloved mother, never had to perish in the underground. Never had to live in such a dirty and awful place at all. Even so, the first seven years of Levi’s life hadn’t been easy for either of them. Kuchel was a young single mother who had to work overtime to feed her beloved son, and Levi had learned to take care of himself from a young age. With his memories, it only came natural to him. And even if back in those days little Levi still didn’t understand the meaning behind his dreams, he was grateful that in his reality his mother was alive, healthy and loving, and not dead in some dark, filthy place. Having his mother by his side was everything he wanted from life.

Still, life had decided to be extra generous with him, and she gifted him with the best step-father in the whole world, who together with Kuchel, gifted him with five younger siblings.

Levi sometimes looked at them and couldn’t believe he once had a life where they didn’t exists.

“I’m still sorry I’ve told you on such short notice, dear.” Kuchel apologized. She had only informed of their arrival that same morning, but their surprise was warmly welcomed by Levi, who took his day off from work to prepare everything.

“No big deal, mom. I’ve already cleaned the guest room.”

“Oh honey, life isn’t just about working and cleaning, you know?”

“I’m not letting you and my brothers sleep in a dirty room, mom.”

“I know, but you should really take some time for yourself and have fun once in a while.”

“I have lots of fun.” His mother giggled at his response. The activities her son considered fun were cleaning, reading books and having tea with his few friends. Hardly considered fun by anyone except Levi, but she knew he was content just with that. And accepted it.

“Sure, dear. I can’t wait to see you.”

“Me too, mom. Have a safe trip.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you soon. Bye.”

 _Mmh, let’s see. The kitchen is clean, the rooms are clean, the bathroom is clean… I went groceries shopping this morning…what else do I have to do?_ He asked himself.

The house was pristine, but Levi felt like there was something missing. His mother loved having fresh flowers in the house, they released their sweet scents and rekindled the household. That’s why she gifted him with the flower vase he always kept on his living room’s table. The vase was made of exquisite white ceramic, very elegant and refined. His mother knew his tastes well. But he never really put it to use.

He didn’t see the point in keeping cut flowers in the house. They would eventually wither and decay. They reminded him too much of all those nameless flowers he had to see perish on the battlefield. Flowers were so much better left off in the meadow, where they would bloom and eventually wither and die when their own time came.

However, he didn’t want his mother to think he didn’t appreciate her gift. Maybe buying some magnolia flowers just for once, couldn’t have been so bad.

Then, he remember there was this flower shop Isabel told him about, she said they had the prettiest flowers in all of Trost. The downside was, it was a little far from Levi’s apartment.

One quick glance at the clock, he decided he had enough time before having to go pick up his family at the station, so he grabbed his keys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read the tags, you might already have an idea of what will happen in chapter 4 ;)  
> Like I said in the notes at the beginning, it would mean the world to me if you'd let me know you're still reading. Or if you've just found out this fic and you're finding it interesting! :)
> 
>  
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://l-leonhardt.tumblr.com/) || [My Art](https://l-leonhardt.tumblr.com/tagged/my-art) || 
> 
> Check out my other Ereri fics
> 
> || [The Song he Sang at Dawn](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16912833/chapters/39734838), Omegaverse AU ||
> 
> || [I'll Keep you Safe, You'll Keep me Strong](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17518985/chapters/41270804), LiS: Before The Storm AU||


	4. Magnolias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi has an encounter at the flowershop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I am so sorry this chapter is so late.  
> I've actually had it almost ready for a while, but unfortunately I had a few problems with my computer.  
> Luckily, I managed to save all my notes and drafts to my drive before my computer left me for good.  
> I had to start writing on paper instead and then type everything here from my phone.  
> But in the end I made it! My computer breaking might have turned out to be a blessing in disguise, 'cause after having to rewrite the chapter, I think it turned out better than it was originally.  
> Personally I really like it, I hope you guys will too :)  
> Lastly, I'd like to thank all of you for the kudos, the bookmarks, the subscription and the comments <3 And for being patient, of you're still reading <3  
> Enjoy :)

Levi couldn't believe it. He had driven for 30 minutes to get to this damned flowershop, and for what? Only to discover the florist was one of the most disgusting people he had the displeasure to meet in his previous life.

Perhaps he wasn't so much of a bad person in this life, but the raven honestly didn't care about finding it out. He had been in a good mood all day, and just the sight of Zeke Jäger's face had been enough to ruin it all.

Levi was about to start the car again and leave when he heard the insufferable man speak, voicing loudly his relief and annoyance.

"About goddamn time, Eren."

Levi froze, hand hovering over his car keys. How could he not have thought about that? Where there was a Jäger brother, there had to be the other. His hatred for the blond man had clouded his thoughts so much,he didn't make that simple connection.

Now that Eren was here, perhaps he could gather new informations. He remained to observe the Jäger brothers from his car mirror, Eren was showing his back to him and looked just like he had the other day: hunched and docile.

Their conversation was just indistinct noises, but Levi could tell from Eren's body language that he was trying to justify his tardiness. The older brother however, wasn't having any of it.

With a huff, he untied the green apron he was wearing to hand it to Eren. It was then that something in Zeke's expression changed, any sign of anger gone. Eren crossed his arms defensively, eyes looking anywhere but at his brother.

Levi thought that whatever Zeke said next couldn't have been anything good. Not only because, well, it was from Zeke, but for what happened next.

"Zeke! You be nice!" A woman - Dina Jäger, Levi presumed - yelled from inside the shop. The blond ignored her and kept talking to his younger brother. Eren was shaking his head while tying his apron, and Levi distinctively heard him say, "please don't do that."

What did that bearded asshole do this time? Most importantly, why wasn't Eren fighting back? Why wasn't he yelling and throwing punches?

Zeke patted the younger boy on the shoulder, before getting on his way.

Levi waited until the ape was gone to get out of his car. Putting on his black leather jacket, he walked towards Eren who was watering some amaryllis flowers. His head was hanging low, and Levi heard him sniff slightly.

_Is he crying? Is it because of what that asshole said?!_

"Good evening." Levi said, to draw his attention.

"Good evening," when the brunet turned around to face him, Levi noticed his eyes where no longer of those pretty green and amber colours, but they widened slightly in surprise, "Oh, hi sir." He said, smiling politely.

Eren seemed to have recognized him from their previous encounter, and he also looked pleasantly surprised to see him again. Levi would've been thrilled, if it wasn't for a small detail in Eren's eyes.

The boy definitely looked like he had been crying. Maybe the culprit were those blue contacts he was obviously wearing, but even if that would explain the redness, it wouldn't explain the swelling. That was a clear sign he had been crying for a long time, and it was probably the reason he arrived late at work. His cheeks too were red and damp from the tears.

_I swear to god, if I ever cross roads with Zeke I'll scratch his eyeballs out!_

"You alright? Your eyes are red."

"Yeah, it's just... My contacts..." He said, drying the corners of his eyes. Those were just lies, and Eren had no clue Levi could see right through him.

"What can I help you with, sir?" Eren's question suddenly reminded him why he was there in the first place.

"I need a bouquet of magnolias."

"Sure, we have white, pink and yellow." He said, gesturing for Levi to follow him inside.

"I'll take the white ones."

After they had talked about the size and a few other minor details, Eren collected the flowers from the vases and started working on the bouquet. For a little while, Levi just observed him working. He wasn't talkative like most florists he knew, he just had his eyes fixated on his work. This actually brought him back, of thousands of years. It was true that some things never changed, whether it was killing titans or composing flowers bouquets, Eren dedicated himself completely.

And if his soft humming was anything to go by, he really enjoyed doing his job. Unlike Levi, who nowadays seemed to question his career choice every other day. He wondered what it would be like, to have a quiet, peaceful job like this. Then it occurred to him: he had no people skills.

"I'm Levi, by the way." He said, realising they hadn't told each other their names yet. Eren raised his eyes from his work, and with a polite smile he said, "Eren."

Levi, of course, already knew his name. But to his great relief, everything suggested that Eren didn't retain his memories from their previous life. The boy had suffered to much in those days, and the burden of those memories wasn't his to bear. Not anymore.

Looking at the boy going back to his work, Levi wondered how to word a question that had been on his mind ever since he saw Eren's marvelous eyes concealed by those hideous coloured contacts. He hated that fake blue already. Beating around the bush wasn't in his style, so without thinking about it too much, he went straight to the point.

"Eren, why do you hide your true eye colours?" Levi cringed inwardly. Why did he have to say it like that? It was too direct, too indiscreet. For a moment, the raven had completely forgotten that they weren't as close as they used to be, that he was just a stranger to Eren now. He had spoken to him like they were still a mentor and his protégé, talking in front of a cup of tea in the military headquarters. But this was another life, and they were a client and a teenager who worked as a part time florist, nothing more. It was sad to think about it.

Eren was staring at him with wide eyes and parted lips, taken aback by his bluntness. Before Levi could apologize for his rudeness, Eren answered politely, "To be normal, I guess..."

If he hated that fake blue before, now he abhorred it completely. He felt the urge to climb on the table, reach to Eren and take those bloody things out of his eyes.

To be normal, he said. Be normal? Eren? The same Eren who stood out from the crowd and took pride in it? Something was definitely off. A part of him couldn't blame the boy, though. He knew how cruel the world could be, perhaps he had been bullied for his heterochromia in the past. It was only natural that he wanted to be normal. Even in their previous life, Levi could tell that deep inside, there was nothing Eren wanted more. To live a normal life, to not be treated like a monster. The look he had in his eyes right now... it was the same he had when Levi's own squad raised their swords against him. 

It seemed that no matter what time they were in, Eren Jäger was always cursed with gifts not everyone understood.

_I'm so sorry you have to go through this bullshit again, Eren..._

"Listen, Eren. We don't know each others, and I have no right to give you advice, but I don't think you should hide it. You should be proud of your uniqueness."

A surprised expression spread on the boy's face, while a rosy colour tinted his cheeks. A blushing Eren was such a rare sight back in the days, and Levi wanted to savour every second of it. In front of such an adorable sight, Levi couldn't refrain a little smirk from forming on his lips.

"Ah... I... Thanks, sir..." Eren stammered out, becoming even redder. He cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.

"Y-Your bouquet is ready. How do you like it?"

"I like it very much."

After paying and saying his goodbye to a still blushing Eren, Levi left with a promise to himself. From that day on, he would've went flower shopping more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think :)  
> As always, comments and constructive criticism would be highly appreciated :)
> 
>  
> 
> My [Tumblr](https://l-leonhardt.tumblr.com/) || [My Art](https://l-leonhardt.tumblr.com/tagged/my-art) || Like what I do? Buy me a [Coffee](https://ko-fi.com/Manage/Index)
> 
> Check out my other Ereri fics
> 
> || [The Song he Sang at Dawn](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16912833/chapters/39734838), Omegaverse AU ||
> 
> || [I'll Keep you Safe, You'll Keep me Strong](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17518985/chapters/41270804), LiS: Before The Storm AU||


	5. Queries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we take a closer look into the domestic new lives of Eren and Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Yes, I'm alive. I probably promised last chapter than this chapter would come out soon but... clearly it didn't. But it's here now! Actually it was getting pretty long so I had to split it in two. I'd like to say that for this reason next chapter might be up soon, buuuut knowing me I don't know. I do promise I'll do my best! And if you're all still with me, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

Levi was nervously tapping his pen on the living room table. Hunched on his notebook, he stared at everything he had scribbled down so far.

At the center of the page, there was a poorly drawn Liberty High, with Eren, Armin and Historia’s names next to it. At the left, a drawing of the flower shop with Dina and Zeke’s names. Lastly, at the right side, a drawing of what was supposed to be Eren’s house with three questions marks, one right next to Mikasa’s name.

Laying back in his chair, Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. Why was he treating this like another one of his cases? What is necessary? Or even a proper thing to do?

Eren wasn’t a stranger. Neither were Historia, Armin or Mikasa for that matter. Well, at least not to Levi.

He just couldn’t stop thinking about Eren. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with that boy. Those eyes once burning with the fury and determination of a wild beast, now bashful and withdrawn like the ones of a doe. It almost looked like they belonged to a different person.

However, Levi couldn’t be fooled that easily. He knew those eyes. It didn’t matter if now one of them was of a different color, it didn’t matter how docile they looked, the blue that hid them or how many centuries had passed.

Somehow, Levi knew that those beautiful eyes belonged to that pure monster with perfect, fearsome beauty Levi once knew. That person who had been Levi’s hope, and the hope of all the Eldian race. That boy who had been shouldered with an atrocious cross.

What happened to his Eren? What was it this time, that tamed the small fire in his eyes? Because it wasn’t extinguished, no. It slept, deep within those pupils filled with mystery.

Levi started scribbling again, this time under the drawing of Eren’s house. He started listing all the possible causes of Eren’s malcontent. With the few elements he had in his hands, the possibilities were down to two: it was either bullying or domestic abuse. In both cases, Zeke was at the top of his suspects list.

Deep in thought, he started tapping his pen on the table again. Was bullying really a valid option? With the few information he had, he didn’t feel like excluding it. But Eren being bullied didn’t sound very believable. Eren wasn’t the type who bullies usually targeted. He was the kind of guy that would defend people from them. Still, he didn’t fight back the other day, after whatever his brother told him.

Levi shook his head. He reminded himself that he didn’t hear their conversation, and that was a detail he needed to keep in mind. It was easy to interpret things wrongly when taken out of context. It was a dangerous thing to do. Well, so was making theories with so little facts at hand, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to help Eren.

The raven haired closed his notebook and started rubbing his temples. What if he was just overthinking this whole situation? What if Eren had appeared sad in the last few days because of normal teenage problems? Maybe he broke up with his sweetheart or failed a test.

For Eren’s sake, he sincerely hoped it was so. However, his gut feeling rarely failed him.

Then there was the Mikasa incognita. One of the many mysteries of this new life. Chances were, her parents never had to perish in this lifetime, thus she and Eren never became adopted siblings. But for them not to be friends at all? That was weird. Maybe she was living in another city, that was the most logical explanation. Or else he would’ve seen her following Eren around, mothering him and smothering him like she used to.

If only Mikasa had been around, maybe Eren wouldn’t be in whatever situation he was currently in.

Ruefully, Levi realized he never even thought about Mikasa right until now. Why did he never look for her? After all, she was probably related to him. They never cared about finding out exactly what kind of familiar bond they shared in their previous life, since they had more important matters to attend.

But in this life? He should’ve looked for her. He never even asked his mother if they had cousins or aunts and uncles. He never really cared about his family outside of his siblings and parents. He didn’t even see his uncle Kenny that often, the only relative his mother kept in touch with after getting married.

Levi mentally noted to himself to have a chat with his mother about this.

“Lee Lee! Lee Lee!” his thoughts were interrupted by his sibling’s joyful cheers, who just stormed into the living room in their pajamas and bed hair. Levi opened his arms to welcome both his little sister and brother, who showered him with their morning hugs.

“Up so early, you little devils?” He said ruffling both of their hair. His sister, Alice, was blonde like their father, but had the same piercing blue eyes as her half-brother and their mother. Her twin Jonas had black hair like their mother, but shared the same hazel green eyes of their father. Kuchel entered the living room shortly after them.

“Good morning, Lee Lee.” She said, placing a kiss on the top of his head.

“Morning, mom.” It didn’t matter how old Levi got, every time his mother came to visit, and kissed him like this while calling him ‘Lee Lee’, he felt like a little kid again. He felt warm, and secure and protected, and like his memories from the underground were just a bad, distant dream. Did Eren have something like this too now? Did Mikasa?

He prayed it was so.

“Lee Lee, these flowers look and smell wonderful!” His mother’s silvery voice distracted him from his thoughts.

“You have to show me this flower shop you talked to me about!” She chanted, enthusiastically.

“Sure. I’ll bring you there later today.” Levi couldn’t refrain a smirk from forming on his face.

Now he had the perfect excuse to go see Eren again.

 

* * *

 

 

Somewhere in the rich neighborhood of Trost, Eren was sitting at his desk, finishing up his homework before heading to school.

“Done! Just in time!” He said triumphantly as he put down his pen. He started stuffing everything in his backpack when he heard a light tapping on his window.

“Yuna!” The brunet exclaimed happily, as he opened the window to let a bushy white cat inside his bedroom. Said cat immediately jumped on the boy’s lap, purring contentedly. Eren caressed her soft, cottony fur.

“Good morning, beautiful girl.” The cat had eyes just like him: heterochromatic. The only difference was that hers were blue and green, instead of green and gold. The two had found each other years ago, and easily became best friends.

“You know, I’ve meet him again,” he told her, “that guy I bumped into, do you remember? He came at the shop. His name is Levi, he’s not creeped out by eyes like ours. It’s weird… I’ve only seen him twice but I feel like I’ve known him for a lifetime.”

“EREEEN!” Shouts from down below made Yuna jump from Eren’s lap and snapped the latter out of his thoughts. Hurriedly, he started packing the remaining things in his backpack. Surely, he didn’t want to leave his homework at home after all the effort he put into finishing them.

“You’re gonna miss the bus again!” the blond shouted again from under Eren’s window.

“I’m coming, Armin!” He shouted back. Grabbing his backpack, he leaped out of his room when he saw Yuna with the corner of his eye, cozily sprawled on his bed.

“Yuna, no!” Eren quickly picked her up, much to her protesting, and carried her away.

 “I’m sorry, but my father will kill me if he finds you in the house!” He said, while putting her down on a branch outside of his window, the same she had used to get inside. He promised himself to make it up to her once he got back home, and then finally left.

As soon as he joined Armin down on the street, the blond boy grabbed him from his wrist and they started running to the bus stop like their lives depended on it. When they finally made it, the bus had just arrived.

“Fuck yes! Just in time!” Eren rejoiced as he pulled Armin in for a quick hug. The blond wanted to protest, to say that if they kept wasting time like this the bus was going to leave without them, but Eren’s hugs were so warm that he smiled and rolled his eyes instead. As they pulled away, Armin saw something in Eren he hadn’t noticed before, and ended up staring unintentionally.

“What is it?”

“Huh, nothing,” Armin said, snapping out of his trance, “Let’s go!”

 

When they took their usual seats on the school bus, they noticed Historia wasn’t there waiting for them like she usually was. Eren looked like a lost kitten in search of his mom.

“Where’s Historia?”

“I guess Ymir’s bringing her to school today.”

“You think so?”

“I don’t think she missed the bus, it isn’t like her. That’s your job.”

“Gee, thanks.” They both started chuckling and giving friendly pushes to each other, until they were interrupted by the obnoxious voice of the guy seated behind them.

“It seems like now that she’s got a girlfriend, your mom friend has forgotten everything about you two.”

Eren closed his eyes and inhaled deeply from his nose. Armin touched his arm and murmured to him, “Let’s just ignore him, maybe he’ll stop.”

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. The boy ran his finger through his red hair, believing he look dashing but he simply looked ridiculous.

 “So Eren, now that you’re single, I was wondering…” he began, but before he could even think of how to continue, he was interrupted by Eren’s early reply.

“No, Floch.” He said, loud and clear, without even looking in his direction. People started laughing, but Floch still wasn’t willing to give up.

“But I just wanted to-”

“No.”

More laughs followed. Armin pushed back his glasses with a smirk, then he stuck his tongue out at the redhead. Floch could do nothing but accept his annihilation.

 

* * *

 

 

Once they arrived in class, Eren went to sit on his usual spot. He noted with unease that the desks at both of his sides were empty, and they weren’t the only ones.

“Historia still isn’t here.”

“Neither are Sasha and Connie.” Armin said, taking his usual seat at the desk in front of Eren’s. It was peculiar than as mush as three of their classmates were absent, and they possibility that all three of them fell sick was unlikely. Were they skipping class? But if so, why wouldn’t they tell Armin and Eren?

“Do you think something happened?” the worried brunet asked to the blonde. Armin was about to reply when they were interrupted by the arrival of their math professor, Keith Shadis.

“So, it appeared that Reiss, Braus and Springer are all absent without notice.” The bald man said, grumpily.

Once they had the confirmation that Historia and the others were absent, Armin took his backpack and went to sit next to Eren.

“Does any of you know anything?”

At their professor’s inquiry, Mina, a small girl with raven pigtails, raised her hand, “I know, professor. They’re protesting.”

“Protesting what?”

“Jean Kirschtein’s suspension.” Silence befall the class. Delivering the message to the class had been like placing a pebble on a tombstone. Before anyone could utter a single word, Eren’s brittle voice raised.

“Jean was suspended…?”

Everyone in class turned around to stare at him, wide eyed, some with open mouths, others with eyebrows raised in questioning and confusion. Armin casted him a worried look.

“Professor, may I be excused?" He asked, then stormed out of the classroom as soon as he was given permission.  

Armin hastily raised his hand, “Professor, may I be excused too?”

The poor teacher reluctantly nodded for him to go, and the blond followed his best friend outside of class.

“What are you going to do?” He asked once he caught up with him in the corridor.

“I’ll set this right.” He said, with determination shining in his eyes.

His unconcealed, mismatched eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My [Tumblr](https://l-leonhardt.tumblr.com/) || [My Art](https://l-leonhardt.tumblr.com/tagged/my-art) || Like what I do? Buy me a [Coffee](https://ko-fi.com/Manage/Index)
> 
> Check out my other Ereri fics
> 
> || [The Song he Sang at Dawn](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16912833/chapters/39734838), Omegaverse AU ||
> 
> || [I'll Keep you Safe, You'll Keep me Strong](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17518985/chapters/41270804), LiS: Before The Storm AU||


End file.
